


Saving People, Hunting Things

by mcshinwon



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Human/Vampire Relationship, Hunter!Yan An, M/M, Smut, Vampire Sex, a few other members r mentioned too, this is definitely inspired by spn, vampire!shinwon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:41:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27960191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcshinwon/pseuds/mcshinwon
Summary: Yanan has a reputation that precedes him; his father was one of the best hunters around and his footsteps are hard to follow in. He’s not bad at hunting by any means, it’s what he’s done for practicality his whole life, but he doesn’t particularly care for the gig or the sacrifices that come with it.Enter Shinwon, a vampire and one of his targets who is able to talk to him for long enough that he realizes that maybe vampires aren’t anything like his father had led him to believe. When Shinwon explains to him that vampires usually only feed on those they wish to make their mate, Yanan finds himself questioning everything he’s been taught. The most unnerving part is how easily he’s willing to leave it all behind.
Relationships: Ko Shinwon/Yan An
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32
Collections: Constellations Fest for Pentagon





	Saving People, Hunting Things

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Constellations Fic Fest! To whoever wrote this prompt, I hope this lives up to your expectations !! I enjoyed writing it a lot <3

Yanan was four years old when his mother vanished. At four years old, something like that wasn’t as much of a life changing event as it was a life  _ shaping _ event. He was too young to understand the ins and outs of what exactly had happened and he was too young to understand why his father made them leave their house and drop off the grid entirely. All he knew was that his days of playing outside and drawing with sidewalk chalk were behind him.

As he grew older, his father began to explain things to him. Monsters existed. Demons too. Any horrible thing he could think of was probably out there, and it was their job to take care of it. He was six when his father taught him how to use a gun, and by the time he was twelve, he’d taken out his share of these monsters. These things existed only to take away human life and drain them of their blood, and Yanan’s father was quick to explain that it was one of these monsters that had taken away his mother. Although he couldn’t remember much about her, he felt it was his duty to help his father, and maybe he would somehow help his mother as well. By the time he was in his twenties, he was part of a small but close knit group of hunters. His father was gone. He’d gone up against something worse than a vampire, and he’d lost. Yanan was left to somehow live up to his father’s legacy.

His father hadn’t always been a hunter. He hadn’t even known such horrible creatures existed until his wife had disappeared, but once she had, all he could focus on was revenge. The need to find whatever had taken her away had been enough that it had consumed his entire being, but it had also been a powerful motivator in making him well known within the small community of hunters. His reputation preceded him, and although Yanan was a decent enough hunter, he was no match for his father. 

Sure, he was good at what he did, but he hated every second of it. 

Being raised to be a hunter didn’t exactly leave many other options for him though. He’d never consistently gone to school, and most of what his father taught him had to do with survival skills and things that were definitely illegal. He didn’t have a pool of other career choices, and having not even graduated from high school, college wasn’t anywhere in the realm of realism. So he hunted. He followed leads and tried to help people where he could. Vampires weren’t the only dangerous things out there, after all. He’d gained experience in dealing with all manners of monsters. Vampires just happened to be what his father had obsessed over. Sure, other monsters and demons were terrible, but to his father, vampires were about as close to a demon as one could get without actually being a demon. All that mattered to them was the hunt. They had no ounce of humanity within them. Little did he know how far that was from the truth. 

“I have a job,” Changgu said, hanging up the phone. They’d been working together for some time because it was dangerous to hunt alone. Despite them having been on the road together for ages, neither of them knew each other very well. They mainly kept to themselves, only discussing business matters. Changgu was nice enough, he supposed, but he didn’t think anybody who hunted monsters was overly bubbly or friendly. Every one of them had a rough exterior and even more walls built up inside, and although Changgu would crack jokes or sing along to music, he wasn’t that different. Yanan knew next to nothing about his past or how he ended up becoming a hunter. All he knew was that he was good at his job. 

“Where to?” Yanan asked, pulling out the map on his phone. They’d been driving aimlessly for most of that day, simply trying to put space between them and their last town. 

“Kalamazoo. We should be able to get there before morning and find a motel,” Changgu said. Yanan nodded as he went to punch it into his gps. It was mid afternoon, but they weren’t even in Michigan; they were in Iowa. It’d take them well over six hours if they were taking stops into account, but then again, they’d travelled further. Thankfully, they were already headed in the right direction, so they didn’t have to backtrack. 

Changgu filled Yanan in on the details of the job. It wasn’t anything they hadn’t done defore. There were a few vampires who’d been found in Kalamazoo. Although nobody had gone missing or been found dead, the vampires had been caught hanging around the college campus as well as some of the local bars. It appeared they were in the midst of a hunt and it was only a matter of time before they found their first victim. It was a pretty generic job, but then again, generic usually meant safe. He’d rather the job be boring but safe rather than anything else. He’d dealt with enough unknowns in his life to know that nothing good ever came out of uncertainty. 

Sure enough, it was well after midnight when the duo arrived in Kalamazoo. They were able to find a motel easily enough, and although the wallpaper was peeling and the carpet smelled weird, they’d slept in worse places. The clerk that had checked them in was a tired man who was in need of a shave, and his attention was more on the television screen behind the desk than it was on the customers in front of him. He handed them their room keys without any other comments, and they were relieved to find that the room did in fact have two beds. They both needed their space, and although they were comfortable enough with each other that it wouldn’t be awkward to share from an emotional standpoint, Changgu had a habit of stealing blankets and kicking in his sleep and Yanan had a habit of snuggling. 

They chose their respective beds; Yanan always picked the one closest to the far wall of the room while Changgu always preferred to be closer to the door. Yanan only ever used the comforter, tending to overheat easily, while Changgu usually ended up burying himself in as many blankets as possible as if trying to shut out everything else happening around him. They both had lots of random habits that made no sense to the other, but they both also knew how to mind their own business. They might have been different people, but they made a great team. Where Yanan was better at strategizing and researching if it was needed, as well as getting people to calm down, Changgu was better in combat. 

Yanan was by no means unskilled. He’d been trained by one of the best, and even if it made for a crappy at best childhood, he could be deadly if he wanted to. The main issue was that he didn’t want to. He’d been taught and told time and time again that what he was doing was to help people and that it was the right thing to do. He was told that these monsters needed to be eliminated from the world. And while he had no doubt in his mind that it’d been a vampire who had taken his mother from his family, he still couldn’t shake the dread that filled his gut every time he was face to face with one. He might have been deadly, but he was also soft. Since he’d started working with Changgu, he’d been able to leave most of the killing to him, and the other seemed to have an understanding that it was best not to question why. 

Yanan set an alarm before climbing under the cheap motel covers. They could sleep in some since they were dealing with vampires, but they’d wake up early enough that they could question the locals and their contact and try to figure out physical descriptions and numbers. The real work wouldn’t start until night. 

* * *

According to their contact, the most frequent sightings had been at the one of the local bars; a handful of men had been hanging around it, and they weren’t from the area. When asked, they’d just said they were passing through, but their contact knew how to spot vampires. A hunter himself, Hongseok was one of the best when it came to picking vampires out of a crowd. Although he usually opted to work alone, he knew when he was outnumbered which was why he’d called Yanan and Changgu for reinforcement. He hadn’t even been on a job when he’d found them. He’d just been passing through Kalamazoo, staying at a random place for a night before he hit the road again, but when he’d gone to the bar for a drink, he’d been hyper aware of the presence of vampires.

He could tell from the color of their eyes; they weren’t bright red like in cartoons and movies, but they were still red. They were so dark that they could pass as being black or dark brown to anybody else. Another thing that set them apart was the fact that they were at a bar and none of them were drinking anything. They mostly were keeping to themselves, talking softly and seeming to scan the crowd with interest. 

“I’m pretty sure they know I’m a hunter,” Hongseok told the pair as they slid into the booth at a cheap diner.

“How? You didn’t walk into the bar armed, did you?”

“What? No, I’m not an idiot. But they were watching me. At first I thought they might try to rip me apart or something as soon as I was alone, but I’m still alive.”

“And you said there were how many?”

“Three at the bar, but for all I know, there could be more hanging around,” he shrugged. 

A waitress came to the table, setting glasses of water in front of them all before writing down their orders. Yanan settled for coffee and cheap waffles. 

“Do you remember what they looked like?”

“I don’t think I could forget even if I wanted to with the way they were sizing me up,” Hongseok sighed, shaking his head. “One of them was tall, about your height, Yanan. A little slimmer than you, broad shoulders. One of them was on the shorter side. He had a bit of a mullet, but a tasteful mullet, not a crusty trucker mullet. The last one was kinda in between in height and he…” Hongseok trailed off, shrugging. “You get the point. Just look for a trio of pretty guys and it’ll probably be the right ones.”

“Great,” Changgu said, frowning. 

“Do you think they’ll give us too much trouble?”

“Of course. We’re hunting them, they’d be crazy not to give us trouble. I dunno though…” Hongseok trailed off, frowning. “From the way they were watching me, it’s clear they knew I was a hunter, so I’m not really sure why they didn’t take me out while I was alone and unarmed. Maybe they don’t want trouble…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They just don’t want you getting in the way of their feed, Hongseok. They’re all the same,” Yanan said, shaking his head with a scoff. “Maybe they weren’t watching you because they thought you were a hunter, but because they thought you’d make a good next meal. Whatever the reason, we’ll get rid of them before they cause any harm to the locals.” 

“Right,” Hongseok said, nodding, but he still didn’t look all that convinced. 

* * *

The plan was simple. The three of them would stake out the bar that the trio of vampires had been spotted at, but they’d sit separately to help avoid suspicion. Changgu would trail them if any of them left, Hongseok would keep an eye on the inside of the building and keep track of anybody they interacted with. Yanan got stuck being the bait. He’d order a drink and drop the glass, cutting his hand in the process. It wasn’t his favorite plan, but he knew better than to try to argue with Changgu and Hongseok. 

The three of them arrived at the bar separately. Hongseok went in first, and then a few minutes later, Changgu and Yanan came in. While Changgu and Hongseok picked tables that were away from the center of the room - Changgu sticking closest to the door - Yanan strolled up to the bar. His phone went off and he saw a message from Hongseok telling him that none of them were there yet. The past few nights they’d entered the bar well after 10 pm. It was just barely 10, so Yanan was sure they’d be waiting for at least a little bit. He ordered a cider to sip on while he waited, shoving his phone into his pocket to keep himself from checking the clock every few minutes. 

He was about halfway through his cider when he felt his phone vibrate, but before he could check it, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I love your jacket, where did you get it?”

The man staring down at him was gorgeous, but he was also undoubtedly a vampire. This must have been the tall one that Hongseok had mentioned. Yanan looked down at his jacket. It was an old denim one that he’d had to replace the back panel of after a particularly rough fight. While the original fabric of it was a faded blue, he’d replaced the back panel with black denim. He shrugged.

“I’ve had it for a while, I just had to patch it up a bit,” he said.

“Oooo, it still looks cool though. Maybe I’ll have to have you patch up my old things,” he said, grinning at Yanan before sliding onto the stool next to him. Maybe Yanan wouldn’t have to draw blood to be bait after all, given the way that this vampire was sizing him up. He didn’t miss the way the other man’s eyes trailed up his body or the way his tongue darted out to lick his lips. 

“You plan on paying me? I don’t just mend clothes out of the goodness of my heart,” Yanan said, raising an eyebrow at the man as he stretched. He was tense and he needed to not be. If he kept acting on edge, the man might suspect something was up, and if that happened, Yanan was as good as dead. 

“I’m sure I could work something out,” he said, grinning. Despite being a monster, his eyes were warm and comforting, and the way the guy seemed so genuine set off warning bells in Yanan’s brain. It felt like the vampire’s objective was not feeding on Yanan but seducing him. “Do you have a name?”

“Why?”

The man shrugged. “I was just wondering if the name was as beautiful as the face,” he said after a moment. Internally, Yanan groaned. This guy was trying real hard, and although the line was still enough to make him flush, he had to be careful. His father had a reputation, so he wasn’t sure if he’d be known by proxy. Then again, he was almost done with his drink and he didn’t feel overly threatened.

“Yanan.”

“Yanan… I like it… can I buy you a drink?” 

“Only if you tell me your name as well,” Yanan said, sipping the last bit of his cider and staring at the vampire intently.

“It’s Shinwon. Pleasure to meet you,” he said, extending his hand. Yanan stared down at it in confusion for a moment before his mind caught up with him. He spared a glance towards the corner where Hongseok was sitting and saw him chatting with a guy with silver hair - no doubt one of the other vampires. Yanan took the hand, shaking it. Shinwon’s skin was warm to the touch, but that wasn’t surprising. Contrary to popular belief, vampires were alive. Vampirism was more of a curse, really. It was said that the first vampires had been created by witches in an attempt to resurrect their loved ones. Unfortunately, the price for gaining their lives back was an eternity of taking the lives of others in order to survive. Yanan wasn’t sure why anybody would want something like that. 

“You as well,” Yanan let go of the hand. 

“You from around here?”

“Why? Are you?” It was his go to strategy to answer a question with another question. The less Shinwon knew about him, the better. He shouldn’t have told him his name in the first place, because that was already putting them at risk. He hoped that Hongseok and Changgu were still doing alright. 

“Nope. Just passing through,” he said, shrugging. He waved the bartender over. “Another drink for my friend, please. I’ve got it,” he said. The bartender nodded, moving to grab another glass. “So what about you?”

“Same as you, I guess,” Yanan sighed. 

“Long day?”

“Something like that,” he stared at the glass as the bartender set it in front of him before reaching for it and taking a sip. He’d slept like shit and even though he’d slept in, he still felt like it was too early when he headed to the diner with Changgu to meet Hongseok. What he really wanted was to go back to the motel and sleep. 

“Tell me about it. I always find it easiest to rant to strangers,” Shinwon said, grinning at Yanan. His fangs were concealed, hidden away in his gums so that he could walk among humans without raising suspicion. Unfortunately for him, his cover was already blown. Might as well humor him, though. 

“I dunno. I kinda hate my job and my life. I’d quit, but I don’t really have any other options,” he finally said, taking a long sip of his cider.

“Is that so? Why?” 

“I’m good at it, but it’s all I know. Everyone expects it of me, and I know it’s the right thing to do, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I’m just kinda tired of it all,” Yanan sighed.

“Hm, well I say screw everybody else. If you’re not happy with your job, then you shouldn’t have to keep doing it. There’s plenty of options out there, you just gotta search,” Shinwon said after a moment, looking thoughtful. 

“And you? What’s your story?”

Shinwon shrugged. “I don’t really have one. Just a guy on the road with his friends. Not much more to it than that.”

“You mean the guys you came in here with? If you don’t wanna talk about yourself, tell me about them. What are they like?” Yanan asked. He glanced towards where Hongseok was sitting and saw that the silver haired guy was chatting animatedly with him still, and Hongseok seemed to be laughing along, genuinely enjoying whatever the conversation was. Any tension that the other had held when they’d gone to the bar seemed to have dissipated entirely. Changgu still sat in his spot near the door, sipping from a glass as he stared down a man without an ounce of subtlety. The man in question must have been the last vampire of the trio; shorter, with a bit of a mullet, but Hongseok had been right when he said it looked fashionable at least. He was currently engaged in a conversation with a couple, smiling softly. Yanan didn’t feel threatened by any of them, least of all Shinwon. 

“Well,” Shinwon laughed, scratching the back of his neck before gesturing towards Hongseok and the silver haired guy. “That one over there is Hyunggu. He’s the youngest of us, but he’s pretty wise if you ask me. He’s always super aware of how other people are feeling and he’s the type of guy who won’t rest until he knows everybody’s okay. The other one is Hui. He’s super caring and he’s also super rich. He always puts everybody else above himself, but I’m hoping that he’ll take it easy soon. I just think he needs to find someone to pull him back to Earth. Hopefully soon though, because he never rests.” 

“They seem nice,” Yanan said, glancing between Hui and Hyunggu before meeting Shinwon’s eyes again. He was smiling at him.

“They are. They’re incredibly nice, actually, which is why I want you to listen to me. Hyunggu seems awfully fond of your friend over there, but I know he has a gun on him and I haven’t missed the way your friend over in the doorway is staring down Hui. If either of them harm my friends, I will not rest until we’re even. Eye for an eye, right?” Shinwon was still smiling, but any kindness had left his voice. Yanan felt the color drain from his face, and suddenly the bar felt too small and too loud. So much for being discreet. 

“What are you-“

“Don’t try playing dumb. Whatever you think we’re here for, you’re wrong. Your type is always wrong.”

“My type? And what is that, exactly?” Yanan set his glass down on the table, struggling to keep his voice calm. He was in the middle of a bar, so there weren’t many options he had. He couldn’t risk making a scene. 

“Hunters. Murderers. It’s all the same,” he shrugged. 

“You’re calling me a murderer? Really? That’s rich coming from you,” Yanan said, shaking his head in disgust. The guy was a vampire, for fuck’s sake. He killed to live and he lived to kill. That’s how they all were. That’s why his mother was gone, and even if he couldn’t remember much about her, Yanan still felt like it was his duty to avenge her. If not for himself, then for his father. 

“Oh, you think you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you,” Shinwon practically purred. He reached up, cupping Yanan’s cheek softly before moving to grip his chin, turning him to face him. “Let me ask you something. Do I look like I go around killing people for sport?”

No. He didn’t. But did any murderer ever look the part? Hell, there were plenty of humans who’d managed to evade suspicion time and time again just because of their charisma. 

“Whatever you think you know is wrong. If anything, it’s you people who do more killing than us. I hear about a lot more humans killing people like me than the other way around,” Shinwon said. He dropped his hand and Yanan instinctively reached for the place it had been. He had a strong grip and it almost hurt. “Sure, there might not be official statistics, but I can tell you with full confidence that we don’t go after you guys anymore than you guys go after yourselves.” 

Yanan spared a glance back towards Hongseok and Changgu. Hongseok seemed like he was in his own bubble and Yanan couldn’t help but wonder if Hyunggu had put some sort of spell or charm on him. Although it wasn’t common for vampires to be able to practice magic, it wasn’t unheard of either. “For the love of God, stop worrying about your friend. If anybody’s the one who should be worried right now, it’s me. I can assure you that Hyunggu means Hongseok no harm,” Shinwon sighed. 

“Oh really? What are you guys doing here then? Because it seems a lot like you’re hunting down your next victim to me.”

“Our next- you guys are so misguided it’s unbelievable. I’d think you were joking, but I can read your mind. You’re serious about this shit, but you couldn’t be more wrong.”

That explained how Shinwon had found Yanan out so easily, but he still couldn’t shake the unease he felt. “Okay, then. Enlighten me on all the reasons I shouldn’t be worried for his safety.”

“Well, for starters, there can’t be a next if there hasn’t been a first,” Shinwon shrugged, before reaching and plucking Yanan’s glass from his hand, taking a sip of it. He frowned in disgust before setting it back down. “People like us? We’re not any more killers than your average human. Vampires who kill are frowned upon by us just as much as you frown upon humans who kill. We don’t need to take that much to survive, and there’s plenty of blood banks around that we’re able to live off of. Sure, to most it’s nowhere near as good as the fresh stuff, but it’s more than enough to survive with.”

“Then why does it feel like your friend is trying to lure my friend away?”

Shinwon made a noise that was half between a laugh and a choke, before shaking his head and burying his face in his hands, shoulders shaking. “You’re the dumbest human I’ve ever met,” he looked up, meeting Yanan’s eyes with a grin. “Hyunggu wants your friend. He’s been trying to get his attention all week. Me and Hui told him that it was a bad idea since… y’know… he wants to kill us and all… but once Hyunggu is determined, it’s almost impossible to get him to back out. If he’s able to find a mate and turn one less hunter against us in the process, then good for him, I guess.”

Yanan stared at him, blinking in confusion. “So he’s not gonna try to eat Hongseok?”

“Well, I didn’t say that. He certainly won’t do anything that’ll harm him though. He might take a little bite, though-“

“You’re not helping your case.”

“Yeah, I can see that because you’re trying to come up with ways to get me separated so you can take me out. Shame that you wanna take me out instead of  _ take me out _ , though. Guess some things aren’t meant to be,” Shinwon sighed, picking at his nails. “Since you seem to be severely miseducated on vampires despite being a hunter, I’ll dumb things down for you. Generally speaking, we don’t feed on random people or kill those we feed on. Feeding is much more of an intimate thing, so if we’re gonna feed on someone, it’s gotta be someone we wanna make our mate. If my friend bites your friend, it’s not gonna mean any harm, and it’s not even gonna make him like us. It’s just gonna mean he’ll probably have the best night of his life,” Shinwon shrugged. 

“And you expect me to just believe that?”

“Well, if telling you isn’t enough to convince you, I could show you,” Shinwon’s voice lowered into a whisper, and he grabbed Yanan’s chin again. And he couldn’t deny that something in the other’s eyes was enticing. He felt like he was being pulled in with no way out, but he didn’t want his friends to get hurt either. Yanan swatted the hand away, reaching for his glass and taking a sip.

“Why did you drink my cider if you don’t even like it?”

Not the smoothest of topic changes, but he was confused and he wasn’t sure what else to do. He was expecting this to be an easy hunt with the same old ending, but instead he had a vampire telling him that most of them were more or less harmless and that feeding was somehow intimate? He needed to clear his head and make sure that Hongseok and Changgu were safe. 

Shinwon shrugged. “Sometimes you just need a drink. This whole situation is getting awfully ridiculous and tiring. Besides, I did pay for it after all.”

“Right, how could I forget,” Yanan sighed, burying his face in his hands. He felt his phone go off in his pocket and pulled it out. It was a text from Hongseok in their group chat. 

_ Stand down. _

“Great, your friend is using mind control on Hongseok.”

“You realize that none of us can do that, right?”

“He was supposed to be our target. Hongseok wouldn’t just stand down that easily-“

“Or maybe he’s just as into Hyunggu as Hyunggu is into him,” Shinwon sighed, shaking his head. “I mean, come on. Look at him,” Yanan turned to look at the pair. Hongseok was grinning at Hyunggu and laughing at whatever he’d said, and Hyunggu was giving him the most awestruck expression Yanan had seen in his whole life. “If you ask me, Hyunggu’s got the whole package. He’s gorgeous and got a great personality and he cares about everybody so damn much. He’d be crazy not to be into him.”

“This is ridiculous. Just be lucky that he sent that text, because that means you get to live another day, vampire.”

“You didn’t even wanna kill me to begin with,” Shinwon shrugged. He looked so unbothered that it was infuriating. “Listen, human, why don’t we call a truce. I like you a lot and I’m sure we can work past the fact that you’re a borderline serial killer.”

Yanan snorted before reaching for his cider and downing the rest of it. “Fine. You win. I’d suggest you get around to showing me what you meant earlier before I change my mind,” his voice was even, but internally he was punching himself. Maybe the way Shinwon had been looking at him all evening had finally gotten to him and maybe he was more than a little bit curious about what would follow, but he couldn’t deny the fact that Shinwon had been right about everything else so far. The fact that he could read minds didn’t help matters. Yanan was like an open book to the other. 

“I never thought you’d ask,” Shinwon said, grinning before hooking an arm around Yanan’s shoulder. “Let’s not waste any more time, then.”

Yanan was aware of Hongseok and Changgu’s eyes on his back as he let Shinwon lead him out of the bar. He was aware of the concerned expressions that passed over Hyunggu and Hui’s faces as they watched Shinwon, no doubt hoping that he was in safe hands. It was clear neither of them trusted Yanan and it made him feel guilty, but he knew that if he dwelled on it for too long, he’d just end up spiraling. He turned away, wrapping his arms around Shinwon’s as the other pushed the door open and they were hit with a burst of cool fall air. 

“Where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise~” Shinwon said, shrugging. “Don’t have high expectations for the venue for tonight’s event though. It’s all in the act.”

“Sure it is,” Yanan grumbled, shaking his head with a sigh. He followed Shinwon down the dark street, watching the cars as they drove past. He wasn’t sure how long the two of them walked in quiet before Shinwon was pulling keys out of his pocket and unlocking a car. He opened the passenger door first, gesturing for Yanan to get in before shutting the door behind him. Yanan felt himself filling with dread as he began to second guess himself. He couldn’t even blame the cider because a couple of glasses weren’t anything to him. Whatever was going to happen, it was too late to back out now. He watched Shinwon climb into the driver’s seat, putting the keys in the ignition and fiddling with them until he got the car to thrum to life. He reached for the volume dial, quickly turning it down before rock music could start blasting over the speakers. It was something by Def Leppard and although Yanan recognized the song, he couldn’t remember the title. 

“Love Bites,” Shinwon said with a laugh.

“What?”

“That’s the song that’s playing.”

“Stop reading my mind, it’s weird,” Yanan huffed, sinking further into the passenger seat and clinging to the seatbelt as if it were some sort of lifeline. 

“Says you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Shinwon didn’t say anything in response. He just shook his head with a laugh before putting the car in drive. Yanan trained his eyes on the scenery outside the window, watching as lights blurred together. Although it wasn’t supposed to rain, he caught a couple flashes of lightning in the distance. If there was any thunder, it went unheard by Yanan. He rested his head against the window. He wasn’t as on edge anymore, or at least not in the same way. Even if everything he’d been taught pointed to Shinwon being out to get him, Yanan’s gut was telling him that the other was honest and that he meant no harm. If anything, Shinwon’s honesty was what unnerved Yanan the most. If Shinwon was telling the truth, then how much of what he’d been taught was a lie?

“Most of it. The most infuriating part is that I’m not even mad at you for it. If you’d hurt my friends, that would have been a different story, but I was able to pull you away so that has to mean something, right? Every hunter I’ve ever meant was brought on that path by something terrible. Maybe the majority of vampires - and other creatures for that matter - aren’t bad, but it’s the few who are that invariably cause hunters to go after the rest of us. A handful of bad guys, and suddenly we’re all at risk of being hunted down. Humans hate what they don’t understand. That’s why they’re always going after each other, right?” 

Yanan didn’t have an answer, but when he glanced at Shinwon, he could see how genuine he was being. “Why me? You saw right through me from the moment you laid eyes on me.”

Shinwon shrugged. “Maybe I saw right through you, but that includes more than your profession. You told me you hated your job and I could see all of the doubt and resentment you’d been burying. Maybe approaching you was dangerous, but if I could convince even one person then that’s enough of a reason to try, right? Besides, the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I needed to have you,” his voice dropped to a whisper, and he licked his lips before training his eyes on the road again. 

“So what happens after? Am I gonna have to go with you everywhere? Is it binding?”

“No,” Shinwon laughed softly, shaking his head. “It takes more than one time to do anything like that. You don’t have to stay with me. You can go back to your life if you wish, although I’m not sure you’ll want to. To make a mate bound to us, it takes multiple times. Our venom creates a sort of bond after a while, but even then you still have free will. All a bond means is that mates can feel each other’s presences. It makes us want to be around each other and protect each other, but it doesn’t take away our autonomy or who we are.”

Yanan relaxed some at that, although the idea of running away with a stranger seemed appealing. He’d been raised to be a hunter and he didn’t know anything else; maybe this was the chance he needed to finally break away from all of that. When he cast a glance towards Shinwon again, he felt more certain than he had in his entire life. Maybe he didn’t know what would come after, but he didn’t care either. All he cared about was the honesty in Shinwon’s features and the way his eyes moved across him every time he looked his way, slowly as if he was taking in each detail for the very first time. 

He wasn’t sure how much more time passed, but soon Shinwon was weaving the car down a narrow road. Yanan peered out the window, barely able to make out a small home. “What is this place?”

“A secret hideout,” Shinwon said, shrugging as he put the car in park in front of the building. It looked dated, but it also looked like it’d been kept up well enough. Yanan watched as Shinwon climbed out of the car, pocketing the keys before turning to face him. “Coming, or not?”

Yanan blinked, but then nodded, pulling himself from the passenger seat and stepping outside. The air was crisp but it felt nice on his skin as he followed Shinwon up to the home. The porch had a rocking chair on it and a doormat that read ‘Welcome’, and the front door had a curtain across the window that was floral print. It looked more like a place that an elderly person might live than a hideout for a vampire, but Yanan followed Shinwon through the door anyways. 

There wasn’t much in terms of decoration inside the entryway or the room that it opened up to, but other than the curtains on the front window, everything was pretty minimalist. There was a grey couch in the living room that looked like it’d barely been used and in front of it was a glass coffee table. There was a fireplace as well and it looked like brick around it had been painted over fairly recently; it was black and it made the space look way more modern than the outside of the home had made it seem. The kitchen was pretty empty, but it held a fridge and it was stocked with a small amount of beverages and fruits. Yanan raised an eyebrow as he peered through the room, aware of Shinwon’s eyes on him.

“What’s with this? You don’t need to eat...”

Behind him, Shinwon shrugged. “It’s not for me,” he laughed. “If I’m gonna feed on you, it’s nice to give you something afterwards so you don’t get lightheaded or anything. Kinda like when they give you a treat after you donate blood.”

“Right,” Yanan sighed, before letting the fridge swing shut. Shinwon seemed in no rush to initiate anything and Yanan felt out of place in the home, so he turned to face the other. “What are you waiting for?”

“I was waiting for a green light from you. I’m a vampire, not an asshole,” Shinwon said, his lips parting into a grin. “But if you’re eager, then I won’t keep you waiting,” he moved closer, reaching down to take Yanan’s hand and pull him closer. Yanan let him, and he leaned into his touch when Shinwon brought a hand up to his jaw before closing the distance between them. Shinwon’s lips were soft and they felt good against his own. He teased his lower lip with his tongue only to pull back and leave Yanan chasing his lips, desperate for more. He held up a finger, shaking it in front of Yanan’s eyes before dragging him from the kitchen by the wrist. 

He walked through the house backwards, eyes not leaving Yanan’s the whole time as he led him down the hall and into a bedroom. Yanan resisted the urge to look around the room, keeping his eyes trained on Shinwon’s as he backed into the bed, flopping down on it and pulling him with him. “So, what’s so exciting about getting to be fed on by you?” Yanan asked, breathless as he peered down at Shinwon. The other’s lips quirked into a smirk.

“I could try to explain how our venom works, but that would waste too much time. You’ll just have to wait and find out for yourself,” Shinwon said with a wink. He pulled Yanan in for another kiss, his tongue teasing his lip, and for a moment he thought Shinwon was going to pull back again. Instead, he pushed his tongue in, coaxing a soft moan out of him. When he kissed Shinwon, all of his worries slipped away. His lips felt good against his, and although Yanan had admittedly limited experience when it came to kissing and even more limited when it came to sex, he couldn’t think of any other person he’d been with who had felt so  _ right.  _

As Shinwon continued to kiss him, his tongue moving around in the most intoxicating possible way, Yanan ground his hips down. He laughed into the kiss when that movement alone was enough to draw a gasp out of Shinwon. “Who’s eager now?”

“Just now? I’ve been eager all night. Maybe I just like to take my time,” he said, his lips pulling into a smirk. Yanan didn’t have the time to formulate a reply because as he opened his lips to speak, Shinwon set his hands against his chest, rolling them over so that he was on top instead. Yanan could feel the control slowly slipping out of his hands, but he found that he didn’t care. Not when Shinwon stared at him like that. Everything about the other was alluring and enticing, and Yanan supposed it made sense. It didn’t matter if it was a way to lure in prey or a mate or both, because it was more than enough to lure Yanan in. He tilted his head to the side as Shinwon began to mouth at his jawline, placing soft kisses against it and occasionally nipping down with his teeth, but he didn’t sink his fangs into his skin. Not yet. Instead, his hands moved to Yanan’s shirt, slowly undoing the buttons as he continued to kiss him slowly. When they were undone, he pulled back only long enough to pull it off of Yanan’s shoulders, tossing it to the side before his gaze slid up his body slowly. 

Yanan felt like he was being sized up, and in a way, he supposed he was, but when Shinwon opened his mouth he broke the spell. “Damn, you’re ripped.”

“What’s the matter? Not into muscular guys?” Yanan asked, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. He wasn’t sure if ripped was the word he’d have used. Changgu and Hongseok - they were ripped. Him? He supposed he was muscular enough, but he was far from being a bodybuilder. He had to maintain a decent amount of muscle with his line of work because oftentimes he was caught in life or death situations. He vaguely wondered what category this situation fell in.

“It’s not that. You just don’t look like it in all those layers. Your body is very lovely?”

“Only my body?” 

Shinwon licked his lips, eyes darkening. “That remains to be found out,” he simply said. Yanan didn’t have the time to formulate a reply before his lips were on his again. He melted into the kiss and even more into the way that Shinwon’s hands danced across his skin, barely touching him but more than enough to drive him crazy. Then, he began moving his lips lower, placing kisses along Yanan’s jaw, then his neck, then his shoulders. “I’m gonna bite you now. It’ll only hurt a tiny bit,” he warned, his voice barely a whisper as his lips moved across Yanan’s skin. All Yanan could do was nod in response as Shinwon dipped his head into the crook of his neck. He inhaled as he felt the dull pain of fangs piercing skin, but before he could finish inhaling, the pain morphed into bliss.

He’d never done drugs before, but whatever this venom was doing to him? It was addicting and Yanan reached up, tangling a hand in Shinwon’s hair as he fed. He was hyper aware of the feeling of every drop of blood that left his body but it didn’t matter because it was replaced by venom that coursed through his veins quickly without remorse. When Shinwon pulled back, he whined at the loss of contact, but when he saw the other’s face he felt his mouth go dry. Shinwon’s lips were red with his blood, his fangs still exposed and his eyes having turned solid black. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, but then Shinwon dipped down again, his lips ghosting the place he’d bitten down before he ran his tongue across it. As he did so, Yanan could feel the wound closing up. It wouldn’t disappear entirely - he’d worked enough cases to know that - but there was something in their saliva that was able to help speed up the healing and stop the bleeding. 

Shinwon pulled away from Yanan’s neck again before moving down, placing kisses along his chest. Yanan let out a hiss as he caught one of his nipples in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it before letting go of it with a soft pop before continuing to place kisses across his torso. He couldn’t help but shiver under Shinwon’s touch. His hands were soft, barely touching him, but he suspected that it was partially the venom’s fault that everything suddenly felt like so much  _ more.  _ It wasn’t enough. 

When Shinwon’s lips met the tender skin of his hip, tongue swirling around, that wasn’t enough either. 

When he sunk his fangs into his skin for the second time, Yanan couldn’t help the straggled gasp that left his lips. The skin there was tender and sensitive and the pain was more than it had been at his neck, but between the venom that was already in his system and the venom that was being added, it quickly melted away. Shinwon was taking his time, that was for sure, and Yanan was getting impatient, but at the same time, the venom clouded his mind too much for him to properly tell him to get on with it. Instead, he just moaned halfheartedly, hoping that the other would read his mind. 

This time, after Shinwon pulled back, lapping at the wound softly with his tongue, he moved back up, his hands gently trailing Yanan’s torso before he reached up to cup his jaw. His lips shimmered with his blood as he leaned in to capture him in a kiss. Yanan leaned into it readily, his lips parting as Shinwon’s tongue darted in, and he was hyper aware of the bitter taste of his own blood and the slight graze of Shinwon’s fangs but it didn’t matter. Shinwon moved his hand down to palm at Yanan through his jeans, chuckling softly into the kiss.

“Fuck,” Yanan managed, his hips arching into the touch because it felt  _ good.  _ It didn’t matter if there were too many layers because somehow, it took Shinwon little to no effort to unravel him. “Please…”

“Please what, Yanan?” Shinwon asked, a glint in his eyes as he withdrew his hand.

Yanan gave a frustrated whine, trying to push through the fog of venom so that he could form a coherent sentence. “Fuck me, you asshole,” he finally said, pulling Shinwon into another kiss. He felt the other’s fangs graze against his lip a little bit too hard and he could taste the tang of his own blood, but just as quickly, Shinwon was running his tongue across it, the wound closing up.

“Careful, babe,” he laughed, but then he was moving back to tug at the waist of Yanan’s pants. He tugged them off with his briefs in one go and Yanan hissed at the feeling of cool air against his skin. He could see Shinwon moving to reach into a drawer next to the bed before pulling out a bottle of lube and coating his fingers in it. Then, he was dipping down, gesturing for Yanan to spread his legs as he prodded his entrance with a finger. He wrapped his other hand around his length, stroking him so slowly that Yanan thought he might actually lose his mind. The feeling of his hands on him was hypnotic and Yanan fought the urge to buck up his hips as Shinwon continued to stroke him. Then, he was pushing a finger in slowly, moving carefully as he began to work Yanan open. It felt good but it wasn’t enough and although he appreciated Shinwon being careful, Yanan was already toeing the edge. Whatever was in the venom had done plenty on its own, and he was sure that if Shinwon had asked him to, he would have come in his pants without the other needing to touch him at all. 

He bucked his hips up into Shinwon’s hand, a whine on his lips as Shinwon’s fingers brushed against his prostate, the feeling shooting up his spine. He hadn’t even noticed when the other had added more fingers because he’d been too lost in the venom and the feeling of Shinwon’s hand around him and the way that he was staring at him with dark eyes and a smile snaking across his face. “Woah there,” Shinwon laughed, pulling his hand off of Yanan’s dick only to use it to pin his hips down, keeping him from moving as he continued to finger him. Yanan would have whined at the loss in contact but Shinwon’s fingers inside of him were enough to make his mind blank. He could feel the build of warmth and pressure and he knew Shinwon could read his mind and tell how close he was, but the other continued lazily fingering him, his smile only growing with each halfhearted gasp that left Yanan’s lips. 

Shinwon licked his lips, his fingers slowing, and for a moment Yanan thought he was gonna finally get on with it and fuck him, but instead he leaned in, running his tongue up his cock before swirling it around the head. Yanan let out a gasp, his vision going white as he tried and failed to move his hips; Shinwon was still holding him down with a hand. He caught his eyes, the ghost of a smile on his lips before he wrapped them around him and went down on him. The feeling of his mouth around him sent Yanan tumbling over the edge, and the venom had his brain too muddy to even moan out a warning or a curse. The other continued bobbing his head through the orgasm until the pleasure melted away into something that was almost too much, and then he let go with a soft pop, tongue darting to lick his lips. 

“Shit,” Yanan cursed, letting his head fall back because it hadn’t taken Shinwon much to get him riled up and he had the sneaking suspicion that the other was just getting started with him. He whined as he felt Shinwon pull his fingers out of him, suddenly feeling empty. He hoped the other was just getting started because even as he was coming down from the orgasm, Yanan’s body still thrummed with anticipation. It had to have been the venom, but Yanan couldn’t find it in himself to care. After all, this was what he’d signed up for when he’d agreed to go home with a vampire who was looking for a mate. The idea of running away with him was becoming more and more appealing by the moment. 

“Are you still alright?” Shinwon asked, staring at Yanan with an apologetic expression. Yanan nodded quickly and for a brief moment his vision spun and he had to blink a few times as he waited for it to clear. “Good.” 

Yanan watched as Shinwon finally began to peel off his own layers. His skin was smooth and unmarked, save for a mole on his neck and a scar on his chest. Yanan wondered vaguely about it. Vampires were supposed to be able to heal quicker, so the only way it wouldn’t have healed all the way was…

“A hunter,” Shinwon answered, shrugging as if it meant nothing, but to Yanan it meant everything. Why the hell had he decided to bring home  _ him  _ of all people when it was the fault of him and everyone else in his profession that he was at risk just being alive? After all, he doubted Shinwon had chosen to be a vampire, but hunting was a choice. One that never sat easily with Yanan, but still one that he had made. How was Shinwon even able to look past any of that?

“Yanan. It’s fine, really. It happened a long time ago and I was able to get away from the guy who did it,” Shinwon said, smiling. “Don’t overthink everything. Right now, you’re mine,” his smile grew into a grin that was half endearing and half predatory. All Yanan could do was nod in response, watching as Shinwon reached down to stroke himself to full hardness. The whole time, he stared at him, his eyes dark and curious, and Yanan wondered what he saw. What made him worth risking it all for? 

Yanan watched as Shinwon moved to grab a condom, hissing as he slid it on before making his way back to the bed. He reached for Yanan’s thighs, squeezing the soft skin there as he pushed his legs out of the way, and then he was prodding at his entrance. “You can still say no,” Shinwon said quietly as he stared down at Yanan, licking his lips.

Yanan couldn’t help but laugh. “I think we passed that point a long time ago,” he said, but then he saw the way Shinwon furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. “It’s fine. I want this. Yeah, you might have already made me come once, but you haven’t properly fucked me yet. So, what are you waiting for?”

Shinwon’s concerned expression dropped away, a smile tugging at his lip. “When you put it that way…” he trailed off, sighing softly as he began to push inside. Yanan hissed at the feeling, but it was far from being uncomfortable. Every part of him was still sensitive from his earlier orgasm, and that paired with the venom made everything overwhelming. “I can slow down if you need me to, babe,” Shinwon said. His voice was soft as he dipped down to kiss along Yanan’s jaw.

“Slow down? No. Pick up the pace. Don’t worry about me. I’m yours tonight so you can do with me what you please,” Yanan said. He wasn’t sure if it was the venom talking or not, but he could see the way Shinwon’s eyes darkened at that and the way his tongue darted out to lick his lips.

“Well… in that case…” Shinwon started to pull out only to push himself all the way in, hitting against Yanan’s prostate in a way that had him seeing stars. He let out a sound caught between a gasp and a cry as Shinwon continued to move with a steady rhythm. At the same time, he kept leaving slow open mouthed kisses against Yanan’s jaw, his tongue moving across skin and sending shivers up his spine. He bit down again without warning and Yanan’s body arced against his at the feeling of the venom mixing with everything else. It was too much but he needed more. It didn’t matter if the venom had been making his mind more and more hazy because it felt good to just let go and be completely at the other’s mercy. 

He was barely aware of the feeling of Shinwon’s fangs leaving his skin only to bite down on his shoulder, more venom shooting into his system. It was like the other was determined to leave his mark on as many places as possible, and who would Yanan be to deny him of that. His mind was clouded from the venom and it was like the room around them had melted away completely, leaving only the two of them suspended in nothing. All he could think about was the feeling of Shinwon’s fangs in him and the way his hands moved across the skin and the way he kept rocking his hips and hitting his prostate with every thrust. When Shinwon pulled off of him, blood glistening on his lips, he replaced the sensation of the venom with his hand around Yanan. He gasped, his lips bucking against Shinwon as he continued to move inside of him, his hand stroking in rhythm with his thrusts. He hadn’t noticed when the overstimulation had melted away into pleasure again, but now that he was teetering on the edge again, all he could do was gasp, eyes locking on Shinwon’s as he tried to hold back for just a little longer. 

Shinwon’s movements were becoming more erratic as well, but he made up for the loss of rhythm by moving harder and faster, his lips hot against Yanan’s skin as he gave up on trying to kiss or feed, instead burying his face in the crook of his neck. Yanan’s lips parted in a gasp as he felt Shinwon’s fangs graze against his skin, threatening to draw more blood. His back arched and his legs tensed around Shinwon as his vision went white, but all the while, Shinwon kept pounding into him, hand stroking him through and past his orgasm. He let out a whine, his body squirming against the other as he kept moving. It was almost too much and he couldn’t hold back any of the noises that left his lips. When Shinwon came, the only warning was him cursing softly before he bit into Yanan’s neck again, gripping onto him tight enough that it would definitely bruise. The venom coupled with the fact that Shinwon had stopped moving helped to dull the overstimulation, but his head was also starting to spin from the blood loss. Yanan reached up, weakly tangling a hand in Shinwon’s hair as he fed from him. Maybe he’d pass out, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he cared. 

Shinwon let go, running his tongue along the punctures before pulling back to stare at Yanan with wild eyes. “Was that okay?”

Yanan opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn’t make himself speak. The venom has clouded his mind so much that his lips moved soundlessly before he ended up just nodding. He nodded a little too quickly and the room spun around him, so he shut his eyes, waiting for it to stop. When it did, he pried his eyes open to stare at Shinwon again only to see him smiling down at him. 

Yanan raised an eyebrow in question.

“You’re beautiful, you know?”

Shinwon’s voice was soft and tender, and it was unexpected and well within the realm of irony how gentle he looked at that moment, considering the fact that Yanan’s blood still glistened on his lips and his eyes were still dark from feeding, although he’d retracted his fangs. Yanan reached up, cupping his cheek before leaning up to kiss him. Shinwon hummed into the kiss with a smile. When he pulled out, Yanan whined at the loss of warmth, but Shinwon was only gone for long enough to tie off his condom and throw it away. Then, he was taking Yanan in his arms and lifting him up.

_ Where are we going?  _

“I’m gonna clean you up. Yeah, I could close your wounds somewhat, but you’re still kinda bloodied. Let me take care of you, okay?”

_ Not like I have much of a choice in the matter,  _ Yanan thought as he leaned his head into the crook of Shinwon’s neck and let himself be carried into the bathroom. Shinwon turned on the bath, letting it fill part of the way with warm water before he set Yanan in it. He climbed in after him with a sponge and soap and wasted no time in gently lathering it into Yanan’s skin. He sighed at the feeling, flinching whenever Shinwon’s hands moved over the punctures that dotted his skin because although he hadn’t noticed the pain as much when they were fucking, they were tender now. The wound had closed somewhat, but he knew they’d likely leave scars. He couldn’t bring himself to care whether or not they’d be permanent. 

His body was covered in scars so at least these ones would be a more pleasant memory than all the ones he’d gotten while hunting. Vampires weren’t the only thing out there, after all, and Yanan was covered in more than enough scars that it was clear as day. Shinwon said nothing of them. Yanan felt his hand pause over the massive scar that arched across his back from a hunting trip gone wrong, but he said nothing. He’d gotten the scar years ago while he was trailing something in Colorado. Usually, his hunts were successful, but that specific one had not been one of those times. He’d never quite figured out  _ what  _ exactly he was hunting at the time, just that it almost took him along with the rest of its victims. Sometimes the scar still throbbed with pain, a grim reminder of what had happened, and really, it was those types of hunts that had made Yanan want to leave everything behind. 

Even though vampires were misunderstood and hunted wrongfully, there were still plenty of other dangerous things out there. It was those thoughts that lingered on Yanan’s mind as Shinwon’s hands continued to gently lather soap onto his body. He didn’t want to leave him, and he certainly couldn’t just go back to the way that things were before, but what about all of the people who were truly in danger? Who would save them before it was too late?

“Hey.”

Shinwon’s voice broke the quiet, causing Yanan to jump. 

“Stop worrying so much, okay? You just had your whole perspective changed, so you can’t possibly come up with a new life plan overnight. You’ll be fine,” he laughed, his voice echoing in the bathroom. 

“Ok,” Yanan said. His voice was hoarse as he spoke and it was like his body was trying to keep him from speaking.

“It’ll wear off,” Shinwon explained. “Right now it’s just hard to speak because of the venom, but give it about an hour and you’ll feel more or less normal again. Venom clouds up your senses, as I’m sure you noticed. It makes it hard to speak because it’s like a…” he trailed off, searching for words. “It’s a way to keep people quiet when we’re feeding. Yeah, now it’s mostly done as something intimate, but it wasn’t always like that and not everybody’s lucky enough to find a willing mate. It became intimate because of how it makes the person being fed on feel, but it’s mostly like that so we can feed without a fight…” 

Yanan simply nodded in response. He supposed it made enough sense. His body felt heavy, and Shinwon had abandoned the soap and the sponge now, instead slowly massaging his limbs. He felt like putty under his hands, and he felt like he might fall asleep then and there, but he fought to keep himself awake enough to listen to Shinwon as he babbled. His voice was relaxing and his presence was calming. It shouldn’t have been calming, but it was. Yanan wasn’t even entirely sure if he could blame it on the venom or if that was just the way Shinwon was. 

“If it’s worth anything, I had fun tonight. I… even if you wanna leave and forget any of this happened, I’m glad that I got to be with you. Thank you…”

_ You don’t have to thank me for anything _ , Yanan thought, shaking his head slowly and letting a soft laugh escape from his lips. 

“Maybe… but I wanna thank you anyways,” Shinwon said, humming thoughtfully. After that, he let the conversation drop away, humming to himself as he moved his hands across Yanan’s back, letting himself get lost in the motions. Yanan wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, but he supposed it didn’t matter. Although he was awake, he was far too gone by the time Shinwon finally pulled him out of the tub, gently drying him off before placing bandages over the wounds. 

“There’s an ointment on these. It’ll help your wounds heal quicker. By the time you wake up, they shouldn’t even hurt anymore,” he said softly. Yanan just hummed in response, barely aware of Shinwon’s movements. He let himself be dressed by the other and then let him lead him back into the room. He blinked, noticing that the sheets had been changed and a pile of soft blankets were now sitting at the end of the bed. He hadn’t noticed Shinwon get up to do any of that, but then again, he was pretty out of it and the other had super speed so it was well within the realm of possibility. He took a seat on one end of the bed, watching as Shinwon disappeared from the room before returning with a juice box and a plate of apple slices. 

“Eat these,” he instructed. 

Yanan nodded, although he wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep, but he supposed it’d be helpful for his body considering the amount of blood he’d lost. He was almost surprised that he hadn’t passed out, but he suspected that Shinwon was more aware of his state than he seemed. He set the plate aside as he finished it before sipping down the juice box. He still was out of it, but getting something in his system had helped lessen his light-headedness so he supposed that was a start. When he was done, Shinwon took the plate and juice box from him with a satisfied smile, before quickly returning. He flipped off the light switch, letting the room be cast in darkness, and then he climbed into the bed to lay down next to Yanan, pulling the covers close around them.

“Yanan?”

“Hm?”

“I know I said you don’t have to stay but… I hope you do…”

“I’ll sleep on it,” Yanan said softly, before rolling to rest his head against Shinwon’s shoulder. He wanted to stay. Even if the idea was ridiculous and probably terrible, he wanted to stay desperately. He wasn’t sure what his life would entail afterwards, but it didn’t matter. He’d made it through more than 20 years of life by bullshitting it, so what was a little longer? He might not have had all the answers, but he’d figure them out as he went along. 

“Goodnight,” Shinwon said, and it was like his words broke a spell, because just as quickly, Yanan found himself slipping into a deep and dreamless sleep. 

* * *

When Yanan woke up, it was to the warm glow of sunlight streaming through the window, heating his skin. He yawned, pulling his blanket closer before rolling over. He heard someone sigh next to him and felt the warmth of another person and he immediately tensed up before the memories of the previous night came crashing back full force. The hunt that he was supposed to go on, the bar, Shinwon… Hell, he’d really gone home with a vampire, hadn’t he. He cracked an eye open to peer at the other man, but he didn’t feel any fear or regret as he stared at him. His chest rose and fell as if he were any other person and his lips were parted slightly, his breathing slow and even. He looked peaceful, and it wasn’t that he’d looked older before, but he looked even younger as he rested because any of the worry or concern he normally wore had melted away. 

Yanan could leave. Shinwon had made it clear to him that the choice was his and that he was under no obligation to stay. He could run away now while the other was sleeping and pretend nothing had happened. But at the same time, Yanan knew it wasn’t that easy. He couldn’t pretend because  _ so much  _ had happened. There was no way he’d ever forget about Shinwon, even if he wanted to, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he  _ didn’t  _ want to. Even if the scars healed and faded, he wanted to remember Shinwon forever, to remember last night and everything he’d felt then and everything that Shinwon had told him. So instead of getting up and leaving - which might have been the smarter and certainly safer decision - Yanan rolled closer, burying his head in Shinwon’s shoulder and snaking an arm around his chest. He didn’t know what’d happen when the other woke up, but he didn’t care. Maybe a hunter becoming a vampire’s mate was a death wish, but Yanan had been taking risks since he’d been a child, so what was one more? 


End file.
